Pet detectives get paws on the ground

MISSION VIEJO – After her mother had an emergency Caesarean section, Lucy, the runt of the litter, lay motionless in her owner's hand as she had CPR performed on her to revive her. Now, six months later, Lucy is lost and her owner is determined to find her.

Carlie Cutler, 27, originally from New Jersey, relocated to Southern California about six months ago after a fire destroyed her family's home. The family recently rented a home in the 22000 block of Tindaya, where Cutler said she was on her way to a business meeting in Los Angeles when Lucy escaped Thursday.

"She must have snuck out right beneath my feet," Cutler said. "I've been driving around since asking mailmen, FedEx drivers and neighbors."

Coldiron's bloodhounds Diana and Glory sat patiently in the back of her SUV waiting for their workday to start, while Berns' Golden retriever Rainbow and German short-haired pointer mix Lily waited in another car.

Both Berns and Coldiron have worked in the pet rescue industry for about nine years, traveling around California, Nevada and Arizona.

While they specialize in finding cats and dogs, they said they have been asked to find tortoises, ferrets, a boa constrictor – even a bull.

Berns said their main focus when searching for dogs such as Lucy is to follow the evidence, which begins with the direction of travel.

Coldiron led Glory to Lucy's dog bed, where she picked up the traces of the puppy's scent to find which way she ran.

While the detectives got to work, Cutler leaned her head against Glory, fighting back her tears.